Coming soon

[img1]For everyone who had the misfortune of taking classes this summer, some well-deserved vacation time is coming up. Here are some interesting events to look out for while you're taking a break from the books. (Please note that all dates are tentative, especially for film releases.)

[b]Film[/b]

Aug. 25

The Illusionist

This film, directed by Neil Burger, opened the Seattle International Film Festival this year to lukewarm reviews. A promising plot about a turn-of-the-century magician who falls in love with a woman above his social standing and an excellent cast (Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti and Rufus Sewell) are apparently done in by some pretty awful dialogue.

Sept. 1

Factotum

Based upon the novel by Charles Bukowski about a writer sidetracked by women and booze. Stars Matt Dillon and Lily Taylor.

Sept. 8

The Protector

Martial-arts acrobat Tony Jaa travels to Australia to retrieve a stolen elephant. Absurd, you say? Perhaps. But his last film released in the United States, Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior, was a masterpiece of low-budget martial artistry.

Sept. 15

Salvador Allende

This documentary plays the Northwest Film Forum for one week only. In 1973, a military coup resulted in the assassination of Salvador Allende, the president of Chile, and the installation of his replacement, Gen. Augusto Pinochet. Millions fled into exile. This is a fascinating story that doesn't get enough attention.

Sept. 22

The Science of Sleep

Having been a big fan of Michel Gondry's previous film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I was all set to have a blast when this film screened at SIFF this year. Unfortunately it was a bit of a let down. Lead actor Gael Garcia Bernal, so good in other films, plays a character who is little more than a collection of irritating personality ticks and the plot never really takes off.

This Film is Not Yet Rated

I've been looking forward to this for a while. The Motion Picture Association of America, the organization that rates films (PG, PG-13, R, etc.), is shrouded in mystery. No one knows who these people are who decide whether a borderline R/NC-17 film is going to live or die (the NC-17 rating being the kiss of death for production companies who have any interest in a return on their investment). This film attempts to unmask the hidden censors behind the MPAA. Should be good fun.

Sept. 29

Keeping Mum

British comedian Rowan Atkinson has not had the most fortuitous film career. It's tempting to dismiss this film as the latest in a string of mediocre comedies. The film is about a pastor (Atkinson) trying to write the perfect sermon, oblivious to the fact that his wife is cheating on him. Things might be helped along by co-stars Maggie Smith and Kristin Scott-Thomas -- not to mention Patrick Swayze.

The U.S. vs. John Lennon

A documentary about John Lennon's transition from pop star to anti-war political activist and the U.S. government's attempt to silence him. The preview's money quote comes from writer Gore Vidal: "Lennon represented life and Mr. Nixon and Mr. Bush represent death." Vidal may have become a little unhinged in his later years, but he can still turn a phrase.

Children of Men

Based upon the novel by P. D. James and directed by Alfonso Cuaron (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Y tu mama tambien). Set in a 2027 when humanity has lost the ability to reproduce and faces extinction. Stars Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

--David Nordmark

[b]Music[/b]

Wolf Parade, everyone's meat-and-potatoes indie-rock band, is on tour and will grace our city Monday, Aug. 21 at the Showbox. Joining them for the night will be fellow indie Canucks Frog Eyes. No stranger to Wolf Parade, Frog Eyes has performed with them before and are sure to kick your tush.

Chan Marshall, better known as the one-woman act Cat Power, plays a likely-to-be-sold-out Neumos on Monday, Aug. 28, in support of her January release The Greatest. Her initial tour this year included a full backing band, complete with backup singers and a string section. The shows, though very similar from one to the other, were consistent and well-polished -- a description not commonly associated with Cat Power's live performances. Perhaps this time -- a solo tour -- will offer something else.

On Sept. 1, M. Ward -- the ever-loved Portland-based folk singer/songwriter -- plays Neumos in support of his latest release, the very well-received album Post-War. The album, featuring appearances by Neko Case, Jim James and Mike Mogis, is a must for even for the casual M. Ward fan.

Also coming up, grandpappy indie and alternative folk act Silver Jews hit the Showbox, with openers Viva Voce on Thursday, Sept. 7. Frontman David Berman, notorious for his refusal to play live shows, has broken his promise for the better -- catch "The Joos" on their first tour, ever!

[img2]For anyone who has ever seen the documentary film Dig!, your night has come! On Friday, Sept. 8, The Brian Jonestown Massacre play alongside friends (or is it enemies?) The Dandy Warhols at the Showbox. I really don't know if Anton really fights and fucks in quite the same way as he does in the film, but I'd like to find out. Just remember, The Beatles were for sale, Anton gives it away for free! (You'll still have to pay for the show, though.)

If you're a music journalist, or like to think yourself one, you should check out Mission Of Burma, who play the Crocodile Cafe on Friday, Sept. 15.

-- Alan Hui-Bon-Hoa

[b]Theater[/b]

A Number by Caryl Churchill

Playing Sept. 1 through Oct. 1 at ACT Theatre

700 Union St.

Visit www.acttheatre.org or call (206) 292-7676 for tickets

A Number takes the issue of human cloning and pushes it from the political realm into the emotional. Its main character is a father who chose years ago to make a clone of his son, only to find out the cloning operation was performed 20 times instead of once. When he tells his second son that he is one of 20 identical clones of his older brother, the play begins to raise questions about the true source of human identity: Is it one's genes, or one's experiences?

Louis Slotin Sonata by Paul Mullin

Playing Sept. 8 through Oct. 7 at

Empty Space Theatre

901 12th Ave. (near intersection of 12th and Marion)

Visit www.emptyspace.org or call (206) 547-7500 for tickets

Most people's mistakes are trifles compared to one made by Louis Slotin, the chief-bomb builder at Los Alamos during the 1940s. When his finger accidentally slipped when handling a plutonium bomb core, he caused what would later be considered the worst lab accident of the Manhattan Project. Louis Slotin Sonata delves into his guilt, physical pain and crushed ambitions following the mistake that ultimately cost him his life.

Moonlight and Magnolias by Ron Hutchinson

Playing Sept. 8 through Oct. 7 at Intiman Theatre

201 Mercer St. at Seattle Center

Visit www.intiman.org or call (206) 269-1900 for tickets

In 1939, Hollywood producer David O. Selznick has stopped production on the film Gone With the Wind out of disgust for its director and screenwriter. To save the movie, he enlists the help of Wizard of Oz director Victor Fleming and script guru Ben Hecht, though each from the outset believes the project is doomed. Together the three men lock themselves in Selznick's office for five days to re-invent what would become one of the most popular films of all time.

-- Melissa Santos